[nagdu] The matching process

Tue Sep 24 16:36:53 UTC 2013

Recently, when I was picking Jetta from the litter, I had discussed what 
sort of dog I was looking for with the breeder.  she made two suggestions, 
neither were Jetta.  I was struggling with whether or not to go with a puppy 
she was suggesting or to go with my own hunch.  So I asked her why she 
picked those particular puppies.  She explained and it made sense, they did 
have the traits I was looking for.  However they had them in greater 
quantities than I was prepared for.  In the end it came down to an issue of 
communication.  I said I wanted a bold, confident dog and she suggested 
puppies based on what bold and confident meant to her.  Sure I want a 
confident dog, but I also don't want a constant battle of wills, but I 
didn't make that as clear as I could have.

I think the same goes for every other trait, what exactly is a high energy 
dog?  Is my definition of high energy the same as everyone else's?  How much 
pull exactly constitutes a hard pull?What do you mean when you ask for an 
easy to handle dog?  There are so many variables and perceptions  of those 
variables.  You could express the same exact criteria to two different 
trainers and they could very well suggest two different dogs because their 
perception of what you want is going to be different based on their 
different experiences.

There are certainly things that can be measured mathematically, pace and 
pull come to mind.  It would be easy enough to match person and dog on these 
factors, but how do you measure initiative or confidence?

Julie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Star Gazer
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 11:18 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The matching process

I was thinking more along the lines of the schools not telling customers how
they came to the decision of matching a person with a dog.
If we're going to work successfully with a dog, then we should have some
visibility as to how and why that dog was selected, along with the option to
say no, or to discuss with the school why the match may not work.
When I was using dogs, I always knew I could push back, but I also had the
very strong sense that if I did, and I left without a dog, then I had
failed.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 11:30 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The matching process

What I meant by "mystery" is that it seems traditional for the identity of
the dog to be a surprise, kinda like not knowing the sex of a baby until
it's born.  It's amusing, trying to guess before the fact, but it doesn't
really make much sense.  Why should it be a big secret?

I forgot to say before that sometimes picking one's own dog from some
possibilities doesn't always work, either.  At least, one of my classmates
fell in love with a very playful golden, and was matched with him, but his
extreme playfullness wore her out, along with other unanticipated
characteristics.  She was smart enough to see it wasn't going to work, and
get a re-match in class.
Tracy

> I don't know why the schools can't say "We use a b and c criteria
> because that is what has worked in the past". They could also say "And
> sometimes we guess along with these criteria".
> I am not sure why the mystery aspect is even a factor.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy
> Carcione
> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 10:34 AM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nagdu] The matching process
>
> The last 2 times I was at GDB, my trainer called me before I came to
> talk about the dogs they had in mind for me.  They told me some of the
> characteristics of each, and asked if I had a preference.  I really
> liked that.  I had some idea of what I was going to get, and could get
> used to the idea.  Last time a friend went to TSE, they actually let
> her try out the 2 prospective dogs, and discussed the traits of each
> at length.  In the end, she chose the one she wanted, and was ready
> for the challenges it presented.
> I like that, too.
> Somehow, it seems traditional to keep the match a mystery until it
> happens, but it doesn't really have to be that way, and perhaps it
> shouldn't be, especially if the student and school have a
> long-standing relationship, so that the school has a pretty good idea
> of what the student needs.
> Tracy
>
>
>
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